I thought everything in Texas was bigger, not weirder. What does it say about the bizarre nature of the winter meetings when Yankees general manager Brian Cashman walks unbothered through the cavernous lobby and reporters are chasing Marlins executives into elevators?

The Miami Marlins haven’t been a story this week. They have been the story. Their new ballpark will include an aquarium in the retaining wall behind home plate. Tuesday, they pursued the game’s biggest fish with a relentlessness that would make Ahab blush.

They offered Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, the game’s marquee free agent, a 10-year contract worth in excess of $220 million. Then they pressed him for an answer. Pujols does things on his time, so he wanted to slow the process down.

It appeared to work. As the night wore on, reports surfaced that three teams had exceeded $200 million, including the Cardinals and possibly the Angels or Cubs. The idea that Pujols would ever leave St. Louis seemed preposterous in October as he marched through the confetti at Busch Stadium following his second championship.

He is the modern-day Stan Musial. The Man after The Man. A Cardinal for life. That’s no longer a lock.

The Cubs have long been linked to the slugger. They would like nothing more than to pry away their rival’s most prized commodity and perhaps exact some revenge for the Lou Brock trade. (But we digress.) The Angels are tired of looking up to the Rangers. But the Marlins? Really.

They already have landed shortstop Jose Reyes (six years, $111 million) and closer Heath Bell (three years, $27 million). What’s another $200 million between friends?

A $220 million deal would double that of LeBron James. The Marlins, a team that routinely played before friends and relatives at Dolphins Stadium, would become the Yankees Southeast. The lineup could feature Reyes, Hanley Ramirez (if he doesn’t pout his way out of town) and Pujols.

Pujols is only one of the game’s greatest players ever. It’s hard to imagine that man in that uniform (“Let’s Get Tropical”?). Then again, it would be a fitting snapshot of this week’s Bizarro World.

Trade winds. While the Rockies look to find a match for reliever Huston Street, they are exploring multiple avenues. They would consider moving Eric Young Jr. to Seattle for Chone Figgins, if — and only if — the Mariners eat nearly all of Figgins’ deal.

Outfielder Seth Smith continues to draw nibbles. The Braves like him, but not enough for second baseman Martin Prado. The Nationals also have some interest, which could increase if Jayson Werth is shifted to center field.

Footnotes. Manager Jim Tracy said he envisioned catcher Ramon Hernandez hitting in the sixth spot in the lineup. The plan is to keep Carlos Gonzalez in right field, but that could change if the Rockies acquire another right fielder. The Rockies had interest in Michael Cuddyer, who has a three-year offer on the table from the Twins. A name to file away as the Rockies look for a second baseman: the White Sox’s Gordon Beckham. The Rockies would like to re-sign reliever J.C. Romero to a minor-league deal. But he’s attracting interest from other teams.

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

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